Reed valves are widely used in gas and air compressors and other like devices. In air compressors, reed valves are used to admit air to, and to exhaust compressed air from, a cylinder during the intake and exhaust strokes, respectively of the compressor. During the compression and exhaust strokes, the intake must be sealed. During air intake the exhaust must be sealed. Reed valves function satisfactorily for these purposes.
Air compressor intake and exhaust valve assemblies also typically require gaskets for sealing to the head and to the cylinder, as well as limiters for limiting the displacement of the reeds as they open and close.
A typical intake and exhaust valve assembly sealed to the head and the cylinder of an air compressor includes a head gasket, a limiter plate, an exhaust valve with reeds, an orifice plate, an intake valve with a reed and a cylinder gasket. It would be desirable to provide a better seal between the valves and the orifice plate, as well as limit the number of these elements. This would simplify assembly, reduce cost and assure consistent and correct assembly of the parts, as well as provide a sealing and valving assembly that operates in a improved manner. Other systems recess O-rings in orifice plates to seal with reed valves and sometimes directly secure reeds to the surface of an orifice plate rather than using reed valve plates per se.